Long Beach council doesn't back creating dog park advisory committee

There will be no Off Leash Dog Area (Dog Park) Advisory Committee in Long Beach.

A motion proposed Tuesday by Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske to create the partially parenthetically-named committee, which would have laid out rules for the establishment and operation of off-leash dog areas, failed to gain a second supporter during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Schipske said she brought the idea forward after hearing from residents interested in setting up more off-leash dog areas in city parks. She also said the difficulty a private group has had in building a dog park at El Dorado Park factored into the idea.

Several council members spoke against the plan, saying it would add another layer to an area of city government already handled by the Parks and Recreation Committee.

"I have a lot of faith in our park commissioners, and we're able to contribute to that discussion and the members of the public can as well," Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal said.

Long Beach has six dog parks and seemed headed toward adding a seventh late last year when the Parks and Recreation Committee voted to approve a dog park south of Spring Street near El Dorado Park at a city maintenance yard. Three other nearby sites were considered but rejected due to community concerns.

Friends of El Dorado Dog Park, the private nonprofit working with the city to build the park, has struggled to raise money for construction.

A representative of the group previously said she did not support the creation of the new committee.